JP7631082B2 - Information processing system, management server, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing system, a management server, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

In response to the spread of COVID-19, it is necessary to ensure the functioning of toll booths on expressways and other toll roads, even as the number of infected people increases. On the other hand, the number of people willing to work as toll booth attendants is decreasing due to the aging population. Therefore, in order to reduce the number of attendants required, there are methods such as increasing the number of ETC-only toll booths that are only accessible to vehicles using the ETC system (electronic toll collection), or ETC-only lanes where tolls are collected using only the ETC system. On the other hand, vehicles that do not use the ETC system do not have on-board units. There are cases in which such vehicles mistakenly enter ETC-only toll booths or ETC-only lanes, or illegally pass through toll booths by forcibly breaking through them. In such cases, ETC-only toll booths or ETC-only lanes will be temporarily unavailable.

In addition, vehicles that are equipped with an onboard unit but do not have an ETC card inserted, or whose onboard unit is broken, may mistakenly enter or illegally pass through ETC-only toll booths or ETC-only lanes. In these cases, the ETC-only toll booths or ETC-only lanes will also be temporarily unavailable.

JP 2009-116480 A

If an ETC-only toll booth or ETC-only lane becomes temporarily unavailable, it will be necessary for attendants to guide vehicles, which will increase the attendant's workload and make it difficult to reduce the number of personnel required. Therefore, when a vehicle that cannot use the ETC system enters an ETC-only toll booth, it is required to guide it to a designated lane. In addition, vehicles that cannot use the ETC system are also required to be guided to a general lane so as not to enter the ETC-only lane. For this reason, it is necessary to determine the vehicle's status in advance (vehicles that are equipped with an on-board unit but cannot be used due to reasons such as the on-board unit being broken or the card not being inserted, vehicles that do not have an on-board unit, etc.) and provide this information to the driver.

An information processing system according to an embodiment includes a management server and a roadside unit that communicates with the management server. The roadside unit includes a first communication unit that transmits vehicle-mounted device installation information to a vehicle and receives a response including vehicle information, a camera that photographs the vehicle and outputs the photographed image, a first processor that acquires number information including the vehicle number from the photographed image if the response is not received, and a second communication unit that transmits the acquired number information to a management server. The management server includes a third communication unit that receives the number information, a memory that stores a vehicle number database including the vehicle number of the vehicle and information on whether the vehicle is equipped with an onboard device, and a second processor that outputs first information indicating that the onboard device of the vehicle is malfunctioning based on the vehicle number and the vehicle number database included in the number information. The third communication unit transmits onboard device confirmation information including the first information and the number information.
This is what was done.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a toll booth device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a car navigation device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the vehicle-mounted device. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a roadside unit. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the management server. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the information processing system shown in FIG.

The information processing system, management server, information processing method, and information processing program will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, parts with the same numbers perform similar operations, and will not be described repeatedly.

(composition)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system according to the embodiment includes a toll booth device 10, a vehicle 20, a roadside device 30, and a management server 40. The vehicle 20 includes a car navigation device 21 and an on-board device 22. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the vehicle 20 includes the car navigation device 21 and the on-board device 22, the vehicle 20 does not need to include these. The management server 40 can communicate with the toll booth device 10 and the roadside device 30 through a network 50. The management server 40 may communicate with the car navigation device 21 via a server owned by a service company that can communicate with the car navigation device 21.

The information processing system may have configurations other than those shown in FIG. 1 as needed, and certain configurations may be excluded from the fee processing system.

The toll booth equipment 10 is placed at a toll booth on a toll road. The toll booth where the toll booth equipment is placed may be an ETC-only toll booth, or a toll booth with an ETC-only lane. Note that a toll booth with an ETC-only lane may have an ETC/general lane or a general lane. Furthermore, an ETC-only toll booth has a closed lane to accommodate vehicles that do not use the ETC system, i.e., vehicles that are not equipped with an on-board unit or that are equipped with an on-board unit but do not have an ETC card inserted, if such vehicles mistakenly enter the toll booth.

The vehicle 20 may be a general vehicle that can be used by a user. For example, the vehicle 20 may be a car sharing vehicle 20 in which multiple people share the vehicle 20.

The car navigation device 21 displays the current position of the vehicle. The car navigation device 21 also searches for a route from the current position to a destination input by the user, and guides the vehicle to the destination according to the route. The car navigation device 21 can also be connected to the management server 40 via the network 50.

The vehicle-mounted unit 22 can transmit various information by wirelessly communicating with the toll booth equipment 10 and the roadside unit 30. Note that while FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle 20 with an on-board unit 22, the vehicle 20 may not be equipped with an on-board unit 22.

The roadside unit 30 is installed on a toll road or on a road where vehicles can enter a toll road. When the roadside unit 30 detects a vehicle 20, it can communicate with an on-board unit 22 installed in the vehicle 20. The roadside unit 30 can also photograph the vehicle 20 and identify the vehicle number of the vehicle 20.

The management server 40 is installed at a management company or the like that manages the ETC system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the toll booth equipment 10. As shown in FIG.
The toll booth device 10 has a processor 101 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). A memory 102, a higher-level communication unit 103, a vehicle communication unit 104, a starting control unit 105, a detection unit 106, a camera 107, a speaker 108, and a display unit 109 are connected to the processor 101 via a bus 110.

The memory 102 can be a combination of a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD), and a non-volatile memory such as a read only memory (ROM). The memory 102 stores programs necessary for the processor 101 to execute various processes.

The memory 102 further includes a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory, such as a HDD or a memory card, that can be written to and read from at any time, with a volatile memory, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 102 is capable of storing data acquired and generated in the course of the processor 101 executing a program and performing various processes.

The upper communication unit 103 is a communication interface for communicating with the management server 40 as a higher-level device. For example, the upper communication unit 103 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the management server 40 via the network 50. In other words, the upper communication unit 103 may be a general communication unit as long as it can communicate with the management server 40 under the control of the processor 101 and send and receive various information.

The vehicle communication unit 104 is a communication interface that wirelessly communicates with the on-board unit 22 mounted on the vehicle 20. The vehicle communication unit 104 wirelessly communicates with the on-board unit 22 mounted on the vehicle 20 approaching the toll booth equipment 10 (i.e., the vehicle 20 about to enter or exit the toll road). The vehicle communication unit 104 may obtain contract information including a card ID, which is the card number of the ETC card inserted in the on-board unit 22, and an expiration date, by wirelessly communicating with the on-board unit 22. Of course, the vehicle communication unit 104 may obtain various information including the on-board unit ID, vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 20, and information about the license plate by communicating with the on-board unit 22. In other words, the vehicle communication unit 104 may be a general communication unit as long as it can communicate with the on-board unit 22 under the control of the processor 101 and transmit and receive various information.

The departure control unit 105 controls the entry or exit of the vehicle 20 from the toll gate onto the toll road. The departure control unit 105 controls the opening and closing of a departure control bar provided on the lane at the toll gate. For example, when the departure control unit 105 needs to temporarily stop the vehicle 20 or to prohibit the passage (entry or exit) of the vehicle 20, it closes the departure control bar to physically block the passage of the vehicle 20. In addition, when the departure control unit 105 needs to permit the passage (entry or exit) of the vehicle 20, it opens the departure control bar to permit the passage of the vehicle 20.

In addition, if the toll gate is an ETC-only toll gate, the departure control unit 105 installed in the closed lane of the toll gate may keep the departure control bar closed at all times. After the toll gate attendant has processed the toll collection process or the process required for payment at a later date for the vehicle 20 that has entered (is guided into) the closed lane, the departure control bar may be opened.

The detection unit 106 detects that the vehicle 20 is approaching a toll gate. For example, under the control of the processor 101, the detection unit 106 irradiates a laser beam and detects the reflected laser beam reflected by an object such as the vehicle 20. For example, the loop-type detection unit 106 includes a loop coil embedded in the road or the like before entering each lane of the possible toll gate. The detection unit 106 detects the vehicle 20 based on the change in inductance when the vehicle 20 passes over the loop coil. The detection unit 106 can also automatically detect the behavior of the vehicle 20. For example, a radar-type detection unit measures the vehicle speed by utilizing the Doppler effect when the radar is reflected.

The camera 107 photographs the vehicle 20 and outputs the photographed image. The camera 107 may also output photographed images of the vehicle 20 that are continuously photographed.

The speaker 108 uses audio to guide a vehicle 20 behaving suspiciously into a specified lane, such as a closed lane.

The display unit 109 displays the vehicle number of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the display unit 109 displays information for guiding the vehicle 20 to a specific lane, such as a closed lane.

Next, the functions realized by the processor 101 of the toll booth equipment 10 will be described. The functions realized by the processor 101 are realized by the processor 101 executing a program stored in the internal memory or memory 102, etc.

The processor 101 has a function of outputting a captured image using the camera 107. The processor 101 has a function of acquiring number information, including the vehicle number, from the captured image. The number information will be described later. The processor 101 has a function of displaying the vehicle number and a message that the on-board unit 22 is out of order using the display unit 109 when the vehicle 20 enters the toll gate. The processor 101 has a function of storing on-board unit confirmation information in the memory 102. The on-board unit confirmation information will be described later. The processor 101 has a function of displaying the vehicle number and a message that the on-board unit 22 is not installed using the display unit 109. The processor 101 also has a function of displaying information on the display unit 109 to guide the vehicle 20 to a closed lane together with the vehicle number.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions are only examples of the functions that the processor 101 can perform. Therefore, it goes without saying that the functions that the processor 101 can perform are not limited to these functions.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the car navigation device 21. As shown in FIG.
The car navigation device 21 has a processor 211 such as a CPU or an MPU. A memory 212, a communication unit 213, a positioning unit 214, an input/output interface 215, and a speaker 216 are connected to the processor 211 via a bus 217. In addition, in Fig. 3, the "input/output interface" is written as "input/output IF".

The memory 212 can be used as a storage medium by combining, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM. The memory 212 stores programs necessary for the processor 211 to execute various processes.

Furthermore, the memory 212 can be used as a storage medium by combining, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or a memory card that can be written to and read from at any time with a volatile memory such as a RAM. The memory 212 can store data acquired and generated in the process of the processor 211 executing a program and performing various processes. For example, the memory 212 stores road information for Japan.

The communication unit 213 is a communication interface including one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 213 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the management server 40. The communication unit 213 may be any general unit that can communicate with the management server 40 under the control of the processor 211 and send and receive various information.

The positioning unit 214 estimates the current position of the vehicle 20 using a global positioning system (GNSS) such as GPS. The positioning unit 214 may also estimate the current position of the vehicle 20 using a gyro sensor and vehicle speed, etc.

An input unit 218 and a display unit 219 are connected to the input/output interface 215.

The input unit 218 is, for example, an input detection sheet that employs an electrostatic or pressure method and is placed on the display screen of a display device that is the display unit 219, and outputs the touch position of the driver of the vehicle 20 to the processor 211 via the input/output interface 215.

The display unit 219 is a display device that uses, for example, liquid crystal, organic EL (Electro Luminescence), etc., and displays images and messages according to signals input from the input/output interface 215.

The speaker 216 communicates to the driver by voice information about road conditions and, if guiding the driver to a destination, whether to go straight, turn right, or turn left at an intersection. The speaker 216 may also communicate to the driver by voice information to guide the vehicle 20 into a specified lane, such as a closed lane.

Next, the functions realized by the processor 211 of the car navigation device 21 will be described. The functions realized by the processor 211 are realized by the processor 211 executing a program stored in the internal memory or the memory 212, etc.

The processor 211 has a function of using the speaker 216 to inform the driver by voice that the in-vehicle device 22 is malfunctioning or that the in-vehicle device 22 is not installed. Furthermore, the processor 211 has a function of displaying on the display unit 219 by text and/or images that the in-vehicle device 22 is malfunctioning or that the in-vehicle device 22 is not installed.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions are only examples of the functions that the processor 211 can perform. Therefore, it goes without saying that the functions that the processor 211 can perform are not limited to these functions.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 22. As shown in FIG.
The vehicle-mounted device 22 has a processor 221 such as a CPU or an MPU, to which a memory 222, a communication unit 223, a card reading unit 224, and a speaker 225 are connected via a bus 226.

The memory 222 can be a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, as a storage medium. The memory 222 stores programs necessary for the processor 221 to execute various processes.

Furthermore, the memory 222 can use, as a storage medium, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or a memory card that can be written and read at any time, and a volatile memory such as a RAM. The memory 222 can store data acquired and generated in the process in which the processor 221 executes a program and performs various processes. For example, the memory 222 stores in advance a vehicle ID that identifies the vehicle 20. The vehicle ID is any ID that can identify the vehicle 20, such as the vehicle number printed on the license plate attached to the vehicle 20, the vehicle registration number, or an ID unique to the vehicle-mounted device 22. Furthermore, the memory 222 may store card insertion information that indicates whether a payment card is correctly inserted into the vehicle-mounted device 22.

The communication unit 223 is a communication interface including one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 223 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the toll booth equipment 10 and the roadside unit 30. The communication unit 223 may be a general unit that can communicate with the toll booth equipment 10 and the roadside unit 30 under the control of the processor 221 and transmit and receive various information.

The card reading unit 224 processes payment cards such as ETC cards. The card reading unit 224 has a structure into which a payment card can be inserted. The card reading unit 224 obtains a card ID and the like from the payment card according to control from the processor 221. The card reading unit 224 may also store various data on the payment card according to control from the processor 221.

The speaker 225 notifies the driver by voice whether or not a payment card is inserted. It also notifies the driver by voice if the payment card is inserted in the wrong direction and the payment card cannot be recognized.

Next, the functions realized by the processor 221 of the vehicle-mounted device 22 will be described. The functions realized by the processor 221 are realized by the processor 221 executing a program stored in the internal memory or the memory 222, etc.

The processor 221 has a function of receiving vehicle-mounted device information. The vehicle-mounted device information will be described later. Upon receiving the vehicle-mounted device information, the processor 221 has a function of transmitting vehicle information including various information such as a vehicle ID and a card ID to the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 203.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions are only examples of the functions that the processor 221 can perform. Therefore, it goes without saying that the functions that the processor 221 can perform are not limited to these functions.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the roadside unit 30. As shown in FIG.
The roadside unit 30 has a processor 301 such as a CPU or an MPU. A memory 302, a higher-level communication unit 303, a vehicle communication unit 304, a camera 305, and a detection unit 306 are connected to the processor 301 via a bus 307.

The memory 302 can be a storage medium that can be used in combination with a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM. The memory 302 stores programs necessary for the processor 301 to execute various processes.

Furthermore, memory 302 includes a storage medium that combines non-volatile memory, such as a HDD or memory card, that can be written to and read from at any time, with volatile memory, such as a RAM. Memory 302 can store data acquired and generated in the process of processor 301 executing programs and performing various processes.

The upper communication unit 303 is a communication interface for communicating with the management server 40 as a higher-level device. For example, the upper communication unit 303 includes a communication module that connects to the management server 40 via the network 50 in a wired or wireless manner. In other words, the upper communication unit 303 may be a general communication unit as long as it can communicate with the management server 40 under the control of the processor 301 and send and receive various information.

The vehicle communication unit 304 is a communication interface that wirelessly communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 22. The vehicle communication unit 304 wirelessly communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 22 mounted on the vehicle 20 approaching the roadside device 30 (i.e., the vehicle 20 about to enter or exit the toll road). The vehicle communication unit 304 may obtain contract information including a card ID, which is the card number of the ETC card inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 22, and an expiration date, by wirelessly communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 22. Of course, the vehicle communication unit 304 may obtain various information including the vehicle ID stored in the vehicle-mounted device 22 by communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 22. In other words, the vehicle communication unit 304 may be a general communication unit as long as it can communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 22 under the control of the processor 301 and send and receive various information.

Under the control of the processor 301, the camera 305 photographs the vehicle 20 and outputs the photographed image of the vehicle.

The detection unit 306 detects that the vehicle 20 is approaching the roadside unit 30. For example, under the control of the processor 301, the detection unit 306 irradiates a laser beam and detects the reflected laser beam reflected by an object such as the vehicle 20. The detection unit 306 then measures the distance to the object based on the time between the irradiation of the laser beam and the detection of the reflected beam, and determines whether or not the vehicle 20 is present based on the measurement result of the distance value.

Next, the functions realized by the processor 301 of the roadside unit 30 will be described. The functions realized by the processor 301 are realized by the processor 301 executing a program stored in the internal memory or memory 302, etc.

The processor 301 has a function of transmitting on-board device information to the vehicle 20 through the vehicle communication unit 304. The processor 301 has a function of determining whether or not to receive a response including vehicle information from the on-board device 22. The processor 301 has a function of determining whether or not a payment card is inserted into the on-board device 22 based on the vehicle information. The processor 301 has a function of outputting a captured image of the vehicle 20 using the camera 305. The processor 301 has a function of acquiring number information including the vehicle number of the vehicle from the captured image. The processor 301 has a function of transmitting number information to the management server 40 through the upper communication unit 303 and the network 50. The processor 301 has a function of transmitting the acquired number information including the vehicle number and vehicle information to the management server 40 through the upper communication unit 303 and the network 50. The processor 301 has a function of transmitting card confirmation information to the on-board device 22.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions are only examples of the functions that the processor 301 can perform. Therefore, it goes without saying that the functions that the processor 301 can perform are not limited to these functions.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the management server 40. As shown in FIG.
The management server 40 has a processor 401 such as a CPU or an MPU. A memory 402, a communication unit 403, and an input/output interface 404 are connected to the processor 401 via a bus 405. In addition, in Fig. 5, the "input/output interface" is written as "input/output IF".

The memory 402 can be a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, as a storage medium. The memory 402 stores programs necessary for the processor 401 to execute various processes.

The memory 402 further includes a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or memory card that can be written and read at any time with a volatile memory such as a RAM. The memory 402 can store data acquired and generated in the process of the processor 401 executing a program to perform various processes. For example, the memory stores a vehicle number database that includes the vehicle number of the vehicle 20 and information on whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with an on-board device 22. The information on whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with an on-board device 22, which is included in the vehicle number database, is associated with the vehicle number. That is, the processor 301 can acquire the information based on the vehicle number. The vehicle number database further includes information on the car navigation device 21 of the vehicle 20 that is associated with the vehicle number. That is, the processor 301 can acquire various information, such as the ID of the car navigation device 21 installed in the vehicle 20, based on the vehicle number.

The communication unit 403 is a communication interface including one or more wireless communication modules. For example, the communication unit 403 includes a communication module that wirelessly connects to the toll booth equipment 10, the car navigation device 21, the vehicle-mounted device 22, and the roadside device 30 via the network 50. The communication unit 403 may be a general one that can communicate with the toll booth equipment 10, the car navigation device 21, the vehicle-mounted device 22, and the roadside device 30 under the control of the processor 401 and transmit and receive various information.

An input unit 406 and a display unit 407 are connected to the input/output interface 404.

The input unit 406 is, for example, an input detection sheet that employs an electrostatic or pressure method and is placed on the display screen of the display device that is the display unit 407, and outputs the touch position of the administrator of the management server 40 to the processor 401 via the input/output interface 404.

The display unit 408 is a display device that uses, for example, liquid crystal, organic EL (Electro Luminescence), etc., and displays images and messages according to signals input from the input/output interface 404.

Next, the functions realized by the processor 401 of the management server 40 will be described. The functions realized by the processor 401 are realized by the processor 401 executing a program stored in the internal memory or the memory 402, etc.

The processor 401 has a function of determining whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board unit 22. The processor 401 has a function of transmitting on-board unit confirmation information to the toll gate equipment 10 and the car navigation equipment 21 through the communication unit 403 and the network 50. The processor 401 has a function of transmitting on-board unit non-equipped information to the toll gate and the car navigation equipment 21 through the communication unit 403 and the network 50. The processor 401 has a function of transmitting card confirmation information indicating that the payment card is not inserted correctly or that the payment card is not inserted to at least one of the on-board unit 22, the toll gate equipment 10, or the car navigation equipment 21.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions are only examples of some of the functions that can be performed by the processor 401. Therefore, it goes without saying that the functions that can be performed by the processor 401 are not limited to these functions.

(Operation)
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the information processing system shown in Fig. 1. In this sequence diagram, the processor 101 of the toll booth equipment 10, the processor 211 of the car navigation equipment 21, the processor 221 of the vehicle-mounted equipment 22, the processor 301 of the roadside equipment 30, and the processor 401 of the management server 40 read out and execute programs stored in the memory 102, the memory 212, the memory 222, the memory 302, and the memory 402, respectively, to realize the operation of this flowchart.

First, this flowchart begins when the detection unit 306 of the roadside device 30 detects a vehicle 20 entering a toll road or a vehicle 20 traveling on a toll road.

The processor 301 of the roadside device 30 transmits the on-board device installation information to the vehicle 20 via the vehicle communication unit 304 (ST101). Here, the on-board device installation information is information for confirming whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22.

The processor 301 determines whether to receive a response including vehicle information from the vehicle-mounted device 22 through the vehicle communication unit 304 (ST102). When the vehicle 20 is equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 22 and is functioning normally, the processor 221 of the vehicle-mounted device 22 receives the vehicle-mounted device information. When the vehicle-mounted device information is received, the processor 221 transmits vehicle information including various information such as the vehicle ID and the card ID to the roadside device 30 through the communication unit 203. The vehicle information may also include card insertion information indicating whether a payment card is properly inserted into the vehicle-mounted device 22. On the other hand, when the vehicle 20 is not equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 22 or when the vehicle 20 is equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 22 but is not functioning normally, i.e., when the vehicle 20 is broken down, the vehicle 20 cannot receive the vehicle-mounted device information and therefore does not transmit a response including vehicle information. Therefore, the processor 301 does not receive a response including vehicle information. Note that the processor 301 may determine that the vehicle information is not received if the processor 301 does not receive a response including vehicle information within a predetermined response time.

When the vehicle information is received, the processor 301 determines whether a payment card is inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 22 based on the vehicle information (ST103). The processor 301 determines whether a payment card is inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 22 based on the card insertion information included in the received vehicle information. If a payment card is inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 22, the process ends. In this case, the vehicle 20 can pass through ETC-only toll booths or ETC-only lanes, etc. On the other hand, if a payment card is not inserted in the vehicle-mounted device 22, the process proceeds to step ST109.

If the vehicle information is not received in step ST102, the processor 301 acquires number information including the vehicle number of the vehicle 20 from the captured image output from the camera 305 (ST104). If the vehicle information is not received, the processor 301 cannot determine whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the onboard device 22. Therefore, the processor 301 acquires number information including the vehicle number from the captured image output from the camera 305. For example, the processor 301 acquires the vehicle number by identifying the license plate located at the front or rear of the vehicle 20 from the captured image. Here, the number information may include various information that can be acquired from the captured image of the vehicle. For example, it may include the vehicle model, the body color of the vehicle 20, etc.

The processor 301 transmits the number information, including the acquired vehicle number, to the management server 40 via the upper communication unit 303 and the network 50 (ST105).

The processor 401 of the management server 40 determines whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22 (ST106). The processor 401 receives the number information. The processor 401 then determines whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22 based on the vehicle number included in the number information and the vehicle number database stored in the memory 402. Specifically, the processor 401 obtains information on whether the vehicle 20 associated with the received vehicle number is equipped with the on-board device 22 from the vehicle number database. The processor 401 then determines whether the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22 based on the information.

When the processor 401 determines that the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22, it transmits the on-board device confirmation information to the toll booth equipment 10 and the car navigation device 21 through the communication unit 403 and the network 50 (ST107). Although the vehicle 20 is equipped with the on-board device 22, the on-board device 22 does not transmit vehicle information. That is, it is considered that the on-board device 22 is malfunctioning. The processor 401 outputs the first information indicating that the on-board device 22 is malfunctioning to inform the driver of the vehicle 20 that the on-board device 22 may be malfunctioning. Then, the processor 401 transmits the on-board device confirmation information including the first information and the number information to the toll booth equipment 10 and the car navigation device 21. Note that the car navigation device 21 is the car navigation device 21 associated with the vehicle number stored in the memory 402. That is, the processor 401 identifies the car navigation device 21 based on the vehicle number, and transmits the on-board device installation information to the identified car navigation device 21.

When the vehicle 20 enters the toll gate, the processor 101 of the toll gate equipment 10 that has received the on-board unit confirmation information may use the display unit 109 to display the vehicle number and a message that the on-board unit 22 is out of order. For example, if the toll gate is an ETC-only toll gate, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number included in the number information and information to guide the vehicle 20 to a closed lane. Also, if the toll gate is a toll gate equipped with an ETC-only lane, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number and information to guide the vehicle 20 to an ETC/general mixed lane or a general lane.

When the processor 101 receives the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information, the processor 101 can store the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information in the memory 102. Then, when the processor 101 acquires a vehicle number that matches the vehicle number included in the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information from an image captured by the camera 107, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 information that the vehicle-mounted device 22 in the vehicle 20 is malfunctioning, together with the vehicle number.

The processor 211 of the car navigation device 21 that receives the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information may use the speaker 216 to inform the driver by voice that the vehicle-mounted device 22 is malfunctioning. Furthermore, the processor 211 may display on the display unit 219 by text and/or an image that the vehicle-mounted device 22 is malfunctioning.

If it is determined in step ST106 that the vehicle 20 does not have the on-board unit 22, the processor 401 transmits the on-board unit non-installation information to the toll gate and the car navigation device 21 through the communication unit 403 and the network 50 (ST108). In this case, since the vehicle 20 does not have the on-board unit 22, if the vehicle 20 enters the ETC-only toll gate, it will be an erroneous entry. Therefore, in order to inform the driver of the vehicle 20 that the entry is erroneous, the processor 401 outputs second information indicating that the on-board unit 22 is not installed. Then, the processor 401 transmits the on-board unit non-installation information including the second information and the number information to the toll gate equipment 10 and the car navigation device 21. Note that the car navigation device 21 is the car navigation device 21 associated with the vehicle number stored in the memory 402. That is, the processor 401 identifies the car navigation device 21 based on the vehicle number and transmits the on-board unit installation information to the identified car navigation device 21.

When the vehicle 20 enters the toll gate, the processor 101 of the toll gate equipment 10 that has received the on-board unit not installed information may use the display unit 109 to display the vehicle number and the fact that the on-board unit is not installed. For example, if the toll gate is an ETC-only toll gate, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number together with information to guide the vehicle 20 to a closed lane. Also, if the toll gate is a toll gate equipped with an ETC-only lane, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number together with information to guide the vehicle 20 to an ETC/general mixed lane or a general lane.

When the processor 101 receives the vehicle-mounted unit not installed information, the processor 101 can store the vehicle-mounted unit confirmation information in the memory 102. Then, when the processor 101 acquires a vehicle number that matches the vehicle number included in the vehicle-mounted unit confirmation information from the image captured by the camera 107, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 information indicating that the vehicle 20 is not equipped with the vehicle-mounted unit 22, together with the vehicle number.

The processor 211 of the car navigation device 21 that receives the information that the vehicle-mounted device 22 is not installed may use the speaker 216 to inform the driver by voice that the vehicle-mounted device 22 is not installed. Furthermore, the processor 211 may display on the display unit 219 by text and/or an image that the vehicle-mounted device 22 is not installed.

If it is determined in step ST103 that a payment card is not inserted, the processor 301 acquires number information including the vehicle number of the vehicle 20 from the image captured by the camera 305 (ST109). The processor 301 acquires number information including the vehicle number from the captured image output from the camera 305. For example, the processor 301 identifies the license plate located at the front or rear of the vehicle 20 from the captured image to acquire the vehicle number.

The processor 301 transmits the acquired number information, including the vehicle number, and vehicle information to the management server 40 via the upper communication unit 303 and the network 50 (ST110).

The processor 301 or the processor 401 of the management server 40 transmits card confirmation information indicating that the payment card is not inserted correctly or that the payment card is not inserted to at least one of the vehicle-mounted unit 22, the toll booth device 10, or the car navigation device 21 (ST111). The processor 301 transmits the card confirmation information to the vehicle-mounted unit 22. The transmission may also be performed when it is determined in step ST103 that the card is not inserted in the vehicle-mounted unit 22. This is because the roadside unit 30 operates like a so-called ETC card not inserted notification antenna. Furthermore, the processor 401 receives the number information and the vehicle information. Then, the processor 401 confirms that the vehicle 20 is equipped with the vehicle-mounted unit 22 from the vehicle number database in the memory 402 based on the vehicle number included in the received number information. The processor 401 then transmits card confirmation information indicating that the payment card is not inserted correctly to the toll booth device 10 and the car navigation device 21.

When the vehicle 20 enters the toll gate, the processor 101 of the toll gate equipment 10 that has received the card confirmation information may use the display unit 109 to display the vehicle number and the fact that the payment card is not inserted correctly or that the payment card is not inserted in the on-board device. For example, if the toll gate is an ETC-only toll gate, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number together with information guiding the vehicle 20 to a closed lane. Also, if the toll gate is a toll gate equipped with an ETC-only lane, the processor 101 may display on the display unit 109 the vehicle number together with information guiding the vehicle 20 to a mixed ETC/general lane or a general lane.

When the card confirmation information is received, the processor 101 can store the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information in the memory 102. Then, when a vehicle number that matches the vehicle number included in the card confirmation information is acquired from an image captured by the camera 107, the processor 101 can display on the display unit 109 information that the vehicle-mounted device 22 in the vehicle 20 is malfunctioning, together with the vehicle number.

The processor 211 of the car navigation device 21 that receives the card confirmation information may use the speaker 216 to audibly inform the driver that the in-vehicle device 22 is malfunctioning. Furthermore, the processor 211 may display on the display unit 219 using text and/or images that the payment card is not inserted correctly or that no payment card is inserted in the in-vehicle device 22.

(Action and Effect)
According to the present embodiment described above, even if a vehicle 20 that cannot use the ETC system mistakenly enters an ETC-only toll booth, it is possible to guide the vehicle 20 to a predetermined lane such as a closed lane. Also, it is possible to guide a vehicle 20 that cannot use the ETC system to a general lane before the vehicle 20 enters an ETC-only lane.

[Other embodiments]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the management server 40 may be linked to a mobile terminal carried by the driver, i.e., the vehicle number may be associated with the mobile terminal ID. In this case, the processor 401 may transmit the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information, the vehicle-unmounted device information, or the card confirmation information to the mobile terminal carried by the driver.

In short, this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in combination as appropriate as possible, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the multiple constituent elements disclosed.

10...Toll booth equipment 20...Vehicle 21...Car navigation equipment 22...In-vehicle device 30...Roadside device 40...Management server 50...Network 101...Processor 102...Memory 103...Host communication unit 104...Vehicle communication unit 105...Departure control unit 106...Detection unit 107...Camera 108...Speaker 109...Display unit 110...Bus 203...Communication unit 211...Processor 212...Memory 213...Communication unit 214...Positioning unit 215...Input/output interface 216...Speaker 217...Bus 218...Input unit 219...Display unit 221...Processor 222...Memory 223...Communication unit 224...Card reading unit 225...Speaker 226...Bus 301...Processor 302...Memory 303...Host communication unit 304: Vehicle communication unit 305: Camera 306: Detection unit 307: Bus 401: Processor 402: Memory 403: Communication unit 404: Input/output interface 405: Bus 406: Input unit 407: Display unit 408: Display unit

Claims (11)

A management server;
A roadside unit that communicates with the management server;
An information processing system comprising:
The roadside unit includes:
a first communication unit that transmits vehicle-mounted device information to a vehicle and receives a response including the vehicle information;
a camera that photographs the vehicle and outputs the photographed image;
If the response is not received, a first processor acquires number information including a vehicle number from the captured image;
A second communication unit that transmits the acquired number information to the management server ;
Equipped with
The management server includes:
A third communication unit that receives the number information;
A memory that stores a vehicle number database including the vehicle number of the vehicle and information on whether the vehicle is equipped with an on-board device;
a second processor that outputs first information indicating that an on-board device of the vehicle is malfunctioning based on the vehicle number included in the number information and the vehicle number database;
wherein the third communication unit transmits vehicle-mounted device confirmation information including the first information and the number information. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second processor outputs the first information when it is determined that the vehicle is equipped with an on-board unit. The information processing system further includes a toll booth device,
The toll booth device includes a fourth communication unit that receives the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information;
a display unit that displays the vehicle number and information for guiding the vehicle to a predetermined lane of the toll gate based on the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information;
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The vehicle further includes a car navigation device.
the car navigation device includes a fifth communication unit that receives the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information;
a display unit that displays information indicating that the vehicle-mounted device is malfunctioning based on the vehicle-mounted device confirmation information;
A speaker that notifies the user that the in-vehicle device is out of order;
The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the second processor outputs second information indicating that the vehicle does not have an on-board unit installed based on the vehicle number and the vehicle number database, and the third communication unit transmits on-board unit not installed information including the second information and the number information . The information processing system further includes a toll booth device,
The toll booth equipment includes a fourth communication unit that receives the on-board unit non-installed information;
a display unit that displays the vehicle number of the vehicle and information for guiding the vehicle to a predetermined lane of the toll gate based on the information that the vehicle is not equipped with an on-board device;
The information processing system according to claim 5 . The vehicle further includes a car navigation device.
the car navigation device; and a fifth communication unit that receives the in-vehicle device non-installed information.
a display unit that displays information that the vehicle does not have an on-board unit based on the on-board unit non-installation information;
A speaker that notifies the user that the vehicle-mounted device is not installed;
The information processing system according to claim 5 . When the first processor receives the vehicle information, the first processor outputs card-not-inserted information based on the vehicle information. When the first processor outputs the card-not-inserted information, the first processor acquires number information including a vehicle number from the captured image, and the second communication unit transmits the vehicle information and the number information to the management server.
The second processor confirms that the vehicle is equipped with the on-board device based on the vehicle information and the license plate number information , and after the confirmation, the third communication unit transmits card confirmation information indicating that the payment card is not correctly inserted ,
The information processing system further includes a toll booth device,
The toll booth device includes a fourth communication unit that receives the card verification information;
a display unit that displays the vehicle number and information for guiding the driver to a predetermined lane at the toll gate based on the card confirmation information;
The information processing system according to claim 1 . A memory for storing a vehicle number database including vehicle number information and information on whether the vehicle is equipped with an on-board device;
A third communication unit that receives the number information of the vehicle;
a processor that outputs first information indicating that an on-board device of the vehicle is malfunctioning, based on the vehicle number included in the received number information and the vehicle number database;
wherein the third communication unit transmits vehicle-mounted device confirmation information including the first information and the number information. An information processing method executed by a management server, comprising:
storing a vehicle number database including vehicle number information and information on whether the vehicle is equipped with an on-board device;
receiving license plate information of the vehicle;
outputting first information indicating that the vehicle-mounted device is malfunctioning based on the vehicle number included in the number information and the vehicle number database;
Transmitting vehicle-mounted device confirmation information including the first information and the vehicle number;
An information processing method comprising: An information processing program comprising instructions to be executed by a processor of a management server,
storing a vehicle number database including vehicle number information and information on whether the vehicle is equipped with an on-board device;
receiving license plate information of the vehicle;
outputting first information indicating that the vehicle-mounted device is malfunctioning based on the vehicle number included in the number information and the vehicle number database;
Transmitting vehicle-mounted device confirmation information including the first information and the vehicle number;
An information processing program comprising :